Stephen Videography
1.) Shooting Star
Watch the video! (Real player file= 1, 046KB)
When: October 1997.
Chart position: Number 2 as a double A-side with Boyzone's Baby Can I Hold You in the UK.
Where: Glasgow, England.
The Video: It features Stephen singing Shooting Star on stage- and some audience shots of people with Stephen banners. There's a short black and white section which features the other Boyzone members- the only part to do so. During this section, Boyzone are seen signing autographs for fans, and Stephen has his picture taken with a young fan. The video also features clips from Hercules, which the song is from. Cue lots of animated Disney clips, lots of glitter, a (ROFL) Shooting Star, and a Stephen (almost) solo video, and you have the perfect Christmas video.
Facts:
1.) Stephen went round the shops in Glasgow with his stylist Alex Delves the day before the shoot, in order to buy some special video clothes. Unfortunately the shoes were a bit slippy for the rollerskating rank which Stephen had to walk down, and so he ended up falling on his bum. A lot.
2.) Ronan turned up halfway through the shoot to lend Stephen his moral support- and to tease him mercilessly, of course!
3.) Stephen was in a very cheeky mood and annoyed the Assistant Director Lucas by re-naming him Mucus for the whole day!
4.) Stephen had one of his infamous hicupping attacks halfway through the video. He often hiccups because he has a loose nerve in his throat, which causes him to hiccup when he has something to drink, either hot or cold. Strange, but true!
My comments: "I love the video and I love the song! I'm into Disney and into Stephen and so it's the perfect combination for me!"
Stephen's comments: "It was good to do. It was one of my dreams to sing for Disney, to perform a song on a Disney film. It was for Hercules and it was No. 2 in the charts. So that was good."
2.) New Beginning
Watch the video! (Real player file= 922KB)
When: March 2000.
Chart position: Number 3 in the UK, and number 8 in Ireland.
Where: Battersea Park, London.
The Video: It features Stephen in black and white, and then slowly goes to colour. It was based on the film Pleasantville, where a family go back to the 1950s when it was all black and white but, because they are from the 1990s, they stay in colour. The special effects kick in towards the end when Stephen reaches a kind of crossroads in his life. White birds swirl around Stephen and Stephen ends up completely in colour in a painting! He is standing by a waterfall and the effects make it look like it really is a watercolour painting. There are lots of pretty footage of buildings as well. The video ends with Stephen walking down a yellow road (which is often mistook as a Wizard Of Oz theme. Get it? Yellow brick road? Black and white into colour?).
Facts:
1.) The special effects in the video took a whole TEN DAYS to create!!!
2.) Keith and Ronan visited Stephen on the set of the shoot to wish him well with everything.
My comments: "Again, great song and great video! I'm not too keen on Stephen's image though. He says that New Beginning is his way of trying to get rid of the "cute" image he is renowned for. However, his image in the video doesn't do this at all! He still looks like the "cute boy next door". Tsk tsk, stylist!
Stephen's comments: "I wanted to create a universal type song with a message that was in your face. It's a very personal song for me, what with last year [1999] and everything, but it can also be used to symbolise the millennium, obviously, a new baby, new car, new job, new house, anyone who's moving abroad and anything really. It's a really cool video too, I really enjoyed doing it. It was quite exciting because it was done in a park in London and there were loads of people looking down to see what was going on."
3.) Bright Eyes
Watch the video!
When: January 2000
Chart position: Number 3 as a double A-side with New Beginning
Where: The Point Depot, Dublin.
The Video: It features Stephen singing Bright Eyes on stage with some audience shots. There are also clips from Watership Down on the stage and, towards the end, Stephen gets lifted up on some wires and "flies" over the audience. This was filmed for Boyzone's Live at the Point 2000, but was used as a promo for Bright Eyes too.
Facts:
1.) Keith had a go at "flying" but failed miserably at it- he said he couldn't do it as stylishly as Stephen!
2.) This video wasn't available on TV- it was only available on special promo videos which were sent out to all the media etc, or on the Boyzone video of course!
My comments: "I love the song, but would have preferred if he had shot a 'proper' video instead of using this from the Boyzone video."
Stephen's comments: "It was good fun to do. I loved the flying; I really enjoyed it. It was an honour to be asked to sing the theme to Watership Down, and appear as a voice too!"
4.) I Believe
Watch the video!
FILM VERSION. . . . . . Real player file= 882KB
NON-FILM VERSION. . . . . . Real player file= 770KB
When: July 2000.
Chart position: 11
Where: UK
The Video: Stephen looking SEXY!!!!!! Stephen, wearing a black leather jacket, stands on a stage singing the song into a microphone. There are loads of close-up shots, and loads of clips from the film Billy Elliott which the song is from
Facts:
1.) Stephen and Eloy recently went to an exclusive screening of Billy Elliott at the Edinburgh Film Festival. They were welcomed warmly by the fans and there were laughs all round as fans called them "Steloy".
2.) Stephen Daldrey, the director of Billy Elliott, was so impressed by Stephen's song that he asked Stephen personally whether he could direct the video for the song.
My comments: "They've got his image spot on now! Stephen looks very sexy and the message of the song works well with the film clips shown during the video."
Stephen's comments: "It's a beautiful movie and it's going to be released worldwide so I'm looking forward to that. [The video] is just me singing in front of a set actually. It's got ballet dances in it and the set is 25 feet high with all kinds of lights shining all over."
5.) Stay
Watch the video!
When: March 2001.
Chart position: 13
Where: London
The Video: Stephen in N Sync style dancing shocker! It's a bit like Hear'say's Pure and Simple, with a bit of Britney's Crazy thrown in. And there's a massive dance routine with loads of male and female dancers. It's a very sexy video, and quite moody and dark too!
Facts:
1.) This song is produced by world-famous company Stargate and is a guaranteed hit because they produced it! They have also produced songs for Britney Spears, N
2.) This one is different from the Stay on the album. Whereas the album version is a more poppy Backstreet, this is a lot heavier, darker, and very N Sync! It's a bit like Britney's Stronger.
My comments: "Stephen Gately at his SEXY best! Love the dance routine- proof that at least one member of BZ can dance N Sync stylee! Very different to other BZ videos- you'd never see a full choroegrpahed dance in them (well, the less said about So Good, the better!)."
Stephen's comments: "I was very pleased with how the day went. . . Even if we did finish at 3am!"
